Stop Playing Shots You CAN'T Hit: The Short Game Decision Killing Your Score
G'day golfers.
Picture this: You are about 30 metres away from the hole. The flag is cut tight, sitting directly behind a deep, nasty bunker. It is a high-risk, high-stress little shot.
What do most everyday players do here? They pull out their most lofted wedge, channel their inner television hero, and try to hit a majestic flop shot that stops dead next to the pin.
What actually happens? They either chunk it directly into the sand or blade it clear over the back of the green into the absolute rubbish.
THE 70 PERCENT RULE FOR GOLF RISK
Before you pull a club out of your bag, you need to ask yourself one question: Can I hit this specific shot more than 70 times out of 100?
If the answer is no, you have absolutely no business playing it.
I have played this game for over 30 years. I have hit this exact shot thousands of times. I have the trained confidence that if I execute three or four key things in my routine, I will clear that bunker 97 times out of 100. But if you have not put in the hours of dedicated training for this specific high-loft shot, you are just gambling with your scorecard.
When you pull a 60-degree wedge and take a massive, aggressive swing, your margin for error shrinks to nothing. You are dramatically increasing the chances of a blowout hole.
SCORING GOLF VS EGO GOLF
The biggest problem with the average amateur golfer is picking shots based on what they think they should hit, or what they see the pros do on television. That is ego golf, and it keeps your handicap stuck in the mud.
If you want to play scoring golf, you look at that bunker and decide to take it completely out of play.
Instead of firing directly at the flag over the hazard, you aim out to the left where there is plenty of safe green. You pull a 7-iron or even a 5-iron, and you hit a simple, controlled chip-and-run. You let the ball trickle across the putting surface.
Your number one priority from 30 metres out is to ensure you are on the putting surface in one shot. It might not look spectacular, and your mates might not gasp in awe, but you are virtually guaranteed to walk off with a comfortable two-putt par or bogey at worst, rather than carding an eights.
STOP PICKING SHOTS ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE
There is nothing wrong with wanting to hit the heroic high wedge. But until you have built the evidence in training to know you can pull it off 70 percent of the time, leave it in the bag. Play the shot your current skill level allows you to hit cleanly. Manage the risk, protect your score, and stop beating yourself up over choices that were doomed before you even swung the club.
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The Gold Coast offers a range of options including Emerald Lakes, Palm Meadows, Hope Island, Southport, and Coolangatta-Tweed. Paul Williamson provides personalised on-course coaching that goes beyond traditional lessons, covering skills, strategy, and mental game in real playing conditions.
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One-hour lessons provide quick tips but rarely translate under course conditions. Paul’s on-course coaching uses 9-hole assessments to build a tailored plan that actually drops strokes from your scorecard.
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Paul Williamson, a PGA Professional with 30+ years’ experience, provides personalised on-course coaching at courses around Carrara, Hope Island, Robina, Southport, Coolangatta-Tweed, and the broader Gold Coast.
